The Holy Family Catholic Parish wants to know what members want to see in a new church.
A town hall meeting will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Parish Center, 2300 Church Road, in Arnold. At the meeting, Holy Family Pastor Gerald Blessing and representatives from Chiodini Architects of Brentwood will gather feedback from parishioners about the planned new church.
The parish was formed in August 2023 when the Immaculate Conception and St. David Catholic parishes merged as part of the Archdiocese of St. Louis’ “All Things New” initiative.
The Immaculate Conception Church is at the parish’s Church Road campus, which is also home to the Holy Family Catholic School, Parish Center and Immaculate Conception Cemetery. The St. David Catholic Church is at the parish’s Tenbrook Road campus, 2334 Tenbrook Road, in Arnold. The parish stopped holding Mass in that church last year.
Blessing has said the parish needs a new church because of the age and condition of both the Immaculate Conception and St. David churches, adding that it is not financially feasible to renovate either one.
He said the decision to build the parish’s new church on the Immaculate Conception grounds is based on its location in central Arnold and because that campus has room for expansion and plenty of parking. It’s also a good location because of the parish’s school and cemetery.
The parish has held mass in the Parish Center since April 6 after the Immaculate Conception Church’s bell towers was damaged during the March 14 storm.
Since then, Blessing has announced a goal to build a new church by the end of 2027.
He has said it will cost approximately $5 million to build a new church, about the same amount it would cost to renovate the Immaculate Conception Church in order to use that building long term.
He said insurance would cover the approximately $100,000 cost to reinforce the church’s bell tower with steel, but the parish would still need to spend more than $30,000 for other repairs, including tuckpointing and plaster work.
Blessing also said the Immaculate Conception Church’s floor, walls and ceiling need to be repaired, adding that the estimated $5 million cost to renovate the building did not include adding bathrooms or a gathering space.
The Immaculate Conception parish was established in 1840, and the church was built in 1895.
Those who are unable to attend the town hall meeting may email suggestions to Blessing at frblessing@holyfamilyarnold.org, and he will forward them to Chiodini Architects.